The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-04-23

the Latin nations, following the Greek
Church, have adopted the Hebrew word
for "passing-over." 1t Is not unlikely that
substantive word like paSch, conforming
TO our elective pdschal, will soon begin to
figure in place of the word Easter" ms
will come about through the tastes and IN
clinations of Americans who have hVed
abroad, and who desire universal term
for the august fast and festival OF the cru
cifixion and ascension of our Lord Jesus
Christ
1t has been the custom Of all people to
merge old festivals into new celebrations.
Thus when the Jews were led out OF
Egypt and had passed miraculously
through the Red Sea, they found themselves
in the pagan season OF the Spring festival.
1t was both natural and expedient TO re-
christen the period Of joy rather than to
abolish it. This expedient has prevailed
in all ages.
The jews have verb, paSdch, or FcssGch,
meaning to spare, to pass over, to protect
The Passover was therefore called Pesceh,
in con tormity with thu genius OF the
language
SO suddenly were the Jews delivered ont
Of Egypt that they hal no time 10 leaYen
their dough. THIS small misnap, foreshadow-
ing their inconceivable good fortune,
was adopted as a mishap to DO joyfully
accepted each year. Hence the seven days
of unleavened bread among the Jews OF to-
day. The paschal full moon determines their
feast as we'll as that of Easter among
Christians, and both Jew and Gentle
worship and rejoice ut the same time.
Pesach begins at sunset OF Saturday ana
lasts through Easter week.
Our Lord suffered at the Passover. The
Jewish year was reckoned by the moons,
and proclaimed by the High Priests. Our
movable feasts are the only relic we have
of the lunar year of tho Jews. We OBJ
serve Christmas by the fixed reckoning or
the Romans, because our knowledge OF
the day of Christs birth came to us from
Roman sources but it is the Passover
which gave us the exact time of the Res
direction. 1t is thus always likely to DC
kept after the reckoning of the Hebrews.
The Greeks made pdSchI out of peSdch;
the Russians, pdSchd; the Latins, pdschd;
the Italians, pdsqua; the Spanlards, pdSc"d;
the Portuguese, DdScd, and the French,
pasgue The French have dropped the $,
and now call Easter pdqueS; the Dutch have
it paasch, There is an English noun, pdSch,
pronounced pdSk. 1t may be Easter Will
come to DO called by that name.
The latest revisers OF the Bible have
thrown out the word Easter from the only
place it held in the King James version.
In the twelfth chapter of Acts it is related
that Herod laid hold Of Peter in the days
of unleaveneI bread, "intending (verse ~
after Easter to bring him forth to the peo-
pie" The revisers have substituted for
Easter the word pdSSOOer The manuscripts
read meta to pascha-Greek for after the Fuss
OUer.
In adopting the Jewish manner of count
ing the day of Easter, the Christian
fathers were forced into some peculiar
astronomical tactics. The Jews had 50 far
bewidered themselves that there was "a
feeling well established that their sacred
reckoning was wrong. The conservative
Jews of this day celebrate two days each
holiday in order to be surely right. The
eccles astical fun moon is an imaginary
orb. like our clock-sun, and was devised by
Moses The Council of Nice, in 32j, ac-
cepted for the whole church the rule that
Easter should be the first Sunday that fell
after the ecclesiastical full moon of March
81; if the full moon fell on Sunday,
Easter should be the next Sunday. An
astronomer named Clavius drew up "A
table of cycles, and the imaginary moon